Wishes & Regrets
This topic is similar to and perhaps a subset of what some coursebooks call 'Unreal Past', though it's possible to express wishes for the hypothetical present or impossible future. There are three parts to forming the Wishes & Regrets structure.
What to Expect
When we talk about how we wish things were different from how they really are or were, we use a structure that’s a little different from simple declarative sentences. We begin with some special expressions that lead into unreal sentiments. The method featured here goes through the three parts to forming sentences about wishes or regrets.
Some coursebooks have a topic called ‘Unreal Past’, which overlaps with Wishes & Regrets quite a bit. However, the Unreal Past isn’t limited to what we would like to be true. Also, Wishes could express desires for the present or immediate future.
Prerequisites
Learners should already be familiar with the following:
Unreal Situations, which may be hypothetical or imaginary. They can also be possible situations that haven’t occurred yet or possibilities that we haven’t yet confirmed. These are often expressed with modals verbs and include future tenses.
Modal Verbs – what they are and what each is used for. It also helps to know which ones are related:
would ← will could ← can should ← shall might ← may
Verb Tenses, primarily Past Simple vs. Present Simple vs. Future Simple. Students should also be familiar with perfect tenses; the Past Perfect tense is featured in the video, but if learners at least know Present Perfect, you as the teacher can fill in the rest for them.
Clauses are sets of properly-ordered words which include or are connected to a subject and a verb phrase that are in agreement with one another.
Proficiency Level
Students at the B2-C1 levels are expected to be familiar with Wishes and Regrets. They’ll likely start learning them at an Upper Intermediate level (5th out of 6)*.
*actual starting level varies from one course-book series to the next
Wish Expression
I wish …
If only …
etc.
Unreal Situation
regret
relief
criticism
fantasies
disappointments
complaints
Backshifted Verb
past < present
past perfect < past
could < can
could’ve < could
Bonus Notes
Practice Activity
Projects
Printouts & Slideshows
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